TREE HOUSE HUMANE SOCIETY

Tree House's three-year strategic plan represents our commitment to work collaboratively with our partners and go beyond our shelter walls to engage our communities. In addition, the plan builds on the successes of our previous strategic initiatives and leverages the innovation spirit and the collective strengths of our program models, leadership, and dedicated supporters.

Over the course of this plan, we will positively impact the lives of nearly 20,000 animals, advance as a resource for
feline care, and pursue innovative and quality programs that will shape the future of animal welfare in Chicagoland.
Key highlights include:
• Increased community engagement and outreach in service deserts in Chicago's west and south sides.
• Piloting of new vet service for sick/injured pets.
• Enhanced collaboration and coordination of stakeholders in the caring and managing community cats
• Capacity-building priorities focused on talent, data, financial resilience, and diversity, equity and inclusion to
ensure Tree House continues to be a thriving organization.
We value our partnership with you. We invite you to empower our communities through pets and progressive
practices and further our vision of every cat thrives.

PURSUING EXCELLENCE THROUGH COMMUNITY
As we prepare for our next 50 years, we are excited to invest in everything that’s made Tree House great for the last 50: community, innovation, and resilience.

These strategic priorities are only the surface, and reflect the exciting future of the next three years.

We have four major strategic priorities for the next three years.

EXPAND ACCESS TO CARE
Focusing on innovation, quality, and sustainable growth, Tree House intends to expand its commitment to excellent, progressive services — specializing in feline care. We will pursue growth opportunities in underserved communities. We will grow our service offerings in response to the needs and health inequities experienced by the pets and the communities we serve.

ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITIES
To set the stage for continued growth and innovation, we will use the lens of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) to guide how we work, interact and engage. We will embed DEI principles into our organization through education and training, more transparent and equitable policies, and inclusive behaviors. We will develop stronger connections in the communities we serve, expanding our community base, and engaging with more diverse partners.

HIGH-PERFORMING CULTURE
The talents, passion, and compassion of Tree House’s workforce constitute its most valued resource. With emphasis on both new employees and existing employees, the enhancement of systems to attract, retain, and support talent and create high-performing teams using data effectively will be prioritized over the next three years. We aim to be a workplace of choice.

BUILD FINANCIAL RESILIENCE
We will strengthen our financial capacity over the long term and champion proven strategies of thriving organizations — including sound investment and reserve policies and multi-year planning. Revenue streams will be balanced, diverse and sophisticated. Services and programs will be evaluated based on the dual bottom line of impact and finances. We are committed to embedding financial data in program discussions and decision-making.

Tree House Humane Society began in 1971 as a volunteer-run effort to provide food and shelter for cats and dogs, operating out of a single-family home on Chicago’s north side. Since that time, we have grown into a leader in animal welfare and a trusted resource for communities of caregivers. We were one of the first cageless humane societies and earliest organizations using Trap-Neuter-Return strategies to control feral cat populations, rather than euthanasia. Over the last 50 years we have found homes for over 35,000 cats, performed over 44,000 spay/neuter and other life-saving surgeries and cared for over 4,000 community cats.

INNNOVATION IS IN OUR DNA
We started 50 years ago as a pioneer in the field of animal welfare. That’s our history, and our future. Since those early days, we’ve revolutionized life for the cats who share our community—and beyond. This year, we’ll open our doors to even more animals with our Veterinary Wellness Center.

Our Community Cats and Cats at Work programs are poised to grow exponentially, and we’re working on making our adoption processes even more accessible and educational.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PREVIOUS PLAN
Tree House Humane Society enters our new strategic plan in an era of incredible growth and
change.
Following are highlights from our previous strategic plan for fiscal years 2019-2021:
• Tripled our vet care capacity to serve the number of animals through the Tree House
Veterinary Wellness Center and our lifesaving work continued to grow in key areas
during the pandemic.
• Focused on strengthening our board by incorporating best practices in our board work.
• Improved our financial systems and met our benchmarks including creating short- and
long-term reserves.
• Served as a founding member of a Chicago metro coalition focused on improving the
quality of life for Chicagoland animals.
• Launched a new brand identity and website and are celebrating our 50th anniversary --
a launching pad to reaffirm and grow our brand.
• Continued to move the innovation needle. Our work on open adoptions and practices
on adoptions of FeLV+ cats via our catfe continues to be showcased in animal welfare
circles. And with the pandemic came the need to pivot and change quickly -- from
virtual adoptions and curbside services to deploying new tools and processes.